Planter



(No Modell) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

- H. S. BLOOD.

PLANTER.

No. 568,598. v PatentedvSept. 29, 1896.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. SQBLOOD.

PLANTBR. r No. 568,598. Patented Sept. 29, 1896.

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HENRY s. BLooD,'oF PARK RAPIDS, MINNESOTA.

PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 568,598, dated September 29, 1896.

Application filed November 26, 1895. Serial No. 570,178. (No model.)

Park Rapids, in the county of Hubbard and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Planters, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descriptiou.

Myinvention relates to an improvement in planters, and'it has for its object particularly to provide a regulating device to be used upon any character of seed-planter, which device may be made to act at the will of the driver in such manner as to gradually increase the distance between rows if distance has been lost or to gradually decrease the distance if distance has been gained during the operation of planting.

A further object of the invention is to provide a means for driving the marking-shaft and for stopping the revolution thereof, as well as for adjusting the markers, without leaving the drivers seat, when the markingshaft has ceased its revolutions.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had'to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan View of the improved planter. Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 31s a sectional view illustrating the drivinggears in side elevation, the said section being taken practically on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section through the carriage in which the driving-gears shown in Fig. 3 are located, and Fig. 5 is a vertical section taken practically on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1.

In carrying out the invention the frame A of the machine is pivotally mounted upon an axle 10, which axle likewise serves as a driv ing-shaft, and the frame is somewhat rectangular in general contour and of skeleton formation. The axle or driving shaft 10 is provided with supporting-wheels 11, firmly attached thereto, whereby the wheels and axle or shaft turntogether. A tongue 12 is pivotally attached to the rear of the frame at or near its center, and the said tongue passes through a strap 13, located at the front of the frame, the strap being of sufficient height to permit the forward portion of the frame to drop much farther below the front of the tongue than at the rear, thus giving the frame a downward and forward inclination.

Parallel with the shaft or axle 10 a second shaft 13 is j ournaled in the aforesaid frame, and beneath these two shafts and practically between them a third shaft 14 is carried by the frame. The lower shaft 14 is provided with a thread which extends nearly from end to end, and the shaft or axle 10 is provided witha spiral groove 15, while the corresponding shaft 13 is provided with a like groove 16. The shafts are adapted to turn in opposite directions, but the spirals on both shafts run in the same direction.

The two shafts 10 and 13 are driven through the medium of two gears 17 and 18. (Illustrated in detail in Fig. 3.) The gear 17, which is splined or held to slide upon and turn with the forward spiral shaft 13, is much larger than the gear 18, which is mounted in like manner upon the rear spiral shaft 10. These tWo gears are located in a carriage 19, which carriage has free sliding movement upon the two spiral shafts, and is provided, as shown in Fig. 4, with a central nut 20, adapted to travel upon the threaded surface of the lower shaft 14.

The forward spiral shaft 13 is provided, preferably near its left-hand end, with a beveled gear 21, secured thereto, and the rear spiral shaft 10 is provided with a similar gear 22, while the screw-shaft 14 at its left-hand end has splined thereon a sliding gear 23 of a beveled character, provided with oppositelyinclined faces, as the said gear 23 isadapted to mesh with either the gear 21 or the gear 22.

The shifting of the double gear 23 is usually accomplished through the medium of a link 24, connected with a collar located upon the gear, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5. The link 24 is pivoted to one end, preferably, of a T-lever 25, which is fulcrumed upon the tongue 12, adjacent to the drivers seat 26 and within convenient reach of the drivers feet. The

shifting gear 23 is held in position intermediate of the gears 21 and 22 through the mediumof springs 27, located one at each side ICO of the said lever 25, as shown in Fig. 1. \Vhen the lever is carried to the left by manipulating the left'hand side thereof, the shifting gear will be brought in mesh with the gear 22 on the rear spiral shaft, and when the lever 25 is operated at the right-hand side and is drawn in direction of the right-hand end the shifting gear 23 will be made to mesh with the gear 21 on the forward spiral shaft.

The forward beam of the frame usually projects beyond the side beams, and the side beams are carried beyond the forward beam, and the projecting end of each side beam is provided with a shoe 29, adapted to open a furrow and to receive the seed dropped in any approved manner from boxes 30, carried by the frame A at its forward portion.

A marking-shaft 31 is journaled in bearings attached to the front of the frame and parallel with the front beam thereof. The shaft is preferably made in three sections, a central section 51 and two end sections 31 the latter being connected with the central or body section by means of universaljoints, and at the outer extremity of each end section of the shaft 31 a marking-arm 32 is socured in a manner to turn with the shaft, said arm having its opposite ends projecting beyond opposite sides of the shaft. The marking-shaft is driven from the forward spiral shaft 13 preferably in the following manner: A pulley 33 is secured upon the marking-shaft, as shown in Fig. 1, which pulley is connected by a belt 341 with a pulley :35, mounted to turn with and have sliding movement upon the right-hand portion of the forward spiral shaft 13. The pulley 35 is provided with a clutch-face 36, adapted to engage with a clutch-face 37, fixed upon the shaft 13, upon which shaft the pulley has sliding movement; The pulley is moved through the medium of a lever 38, engaging with a sleeve upon the pulley, which sleeve is provided with a clutch-face 38, adapted to engage with a corresponding clutch-face 3, formed upon a lever t0, fulcrumed upon one side of the frame, as is also shown in Fig. 1. The frame itself may be raised and lowered so as to control the depth at which the shoes 29 shall travel by locating upon the tongue a lever 41, adapted for engagement with a suitable rack 2, which lever is ordinarily of an elbow type, and is provided in its shorter or horizontal member with a slot receiving a pin 44, projected from the stirrup or strap 13, through which the tongue passes, as illustrated in Fig. 2.

\Vhen the planter is in operation, the rotary motion of the wheels will cause the spiral shaft or axle to rotate, and the gears 17 and 18 will impart like motion, but in opposite directions, to the forward shaft 13, and the arms 32 will be driven in the same direction as that in which the supporting-wheels revolve by this connection with the forward shaft 13. The hills will now be spaced an equal distance along the surface of the ground,

and their position will be marked by the marking-arms In the event that the machine should be losing or gaining distance with reference to the hills, if the driver operates the lever in one direction he will cause the shifting gear 23 to engage with the gear 22 upon the rear spiral shaft, whereupon the screw-shaft l.-1 will be given a rotary motion, which will cause the carriage 10, carrying the gears 17 and 18, to move laterally with respect to both of the shafts 10 and 13. By this means the shaft 13 is given a rotary motion due to the revolving of the supporting-wheels 11 on the ground, together with the lateral. movement of the carriage 19 on the shafts 10 and 13, thus causing the shaft and markers 3 to turn a tri tie faster than before, crowding the hills nearer to one another by decreasing the distance between them, or plac ing the hills a trifle farther apart by increasing the distance between them, the change being gradually accomplished. As soon as the hills are brought in proper relation to one another the driver will remove his foot from the lever and the springs 27 will restore it again to its normal position, carrying the shifting gear out of engagement with the driving-gears of both of the spiral shafts, and the hills will be again spaced equally along the surface of the ground.

\Vhcn the driver manipulates the lever 25 in an opposite direction, that is, causes the shifting gear 23 to be broughtinto mesh with the drivinggear 91 of the forward spiral shaft 13,the rotary motion of the screw-shaf t 14; will be reversed, thereby reversing the lateral movement of the carriage 10 and spacing the hills a trifle farther apart than if they were crowded when the shifting gear 23 was in engagement with the gear on the rear spiral shaft, or crowding the hills a trifle if the distance was increased slightly when the shifting gear was brought in engagement with the driving-gear of the rear spiral shaft.

In the event it is found that the markingarms do not properly register with the rows after the machine has been turned, for example, they may be brought into proper po sition by throwing the driving-pulley on the forward shaft 13 out of driving connection with that shaft and in engagement with the clutch-face of the lever 40. At this time the marking'shaft will be stopped and it may be turned to thedesired distance by manipulating the said lever 40.

The attachment to planters above described is exceedingly simple, durable, and economic, and enables the driver to have full control of the machine without leaving his seat. The operation of increasing the distance between hills, or decreasing the distance, is effectually accomplished by the operation of a conveniently-located trip-lever.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a planter, the combination, with a shaft upon which the supporting-wheels are secured, and a parallel shaft, the two shafts being spiral, of a screw-shaft intermediate of the spiral shafts, and a carriage having threaded connection with the screw-shaft and carrying meshing gears, one being held to slide upon each of the spiral shafts, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a planter, the combination, with a spiral driving-shaft adapted to serve as an axle, supporting-wheels located on the said driving-shaft, and a second shaft parallel with the driving shaft or axle and also of spiral formation, of a screw-shaft intermediate of the spiral shafts, a carriage having threaded connection with the screw-shaft and carrying two meshing gears, one being held to slide upon each of the spiral shafts, a markingshaft, a driving connection between one of the spiral shafts and the marking-shaft, a

.shifting gear, means for shifting the same,

and gears carried by the spiral shafts, adapted for engagement with the said shifting gear, as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a planter, the combination, with a spiral axle serving as a driving-sh aft, and supporting -wheels secured thereto, a parallel shaft also of spiral formation, and a screwshaft intermediate of the spiral shafts, of a carriage having threaded connection with the screw-shaft and carrying two meshing gears, one being held to slide upon each of the spiral shafts, a marking-shaft, a driving connect-ion between one of the spiral shafts and the marking-shaft, a reversing mechanism controlling the marking-shaft, a gear mounted to slide upon the screw-shaft, a shifting-lever connected with the said gear, and gears secured on the spiral shafts, adapted for engagement with the aforesaid shifting gear, as and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a planter, the combination, with a spiral driving-shaft, supporting -wheels secured to the said shaft, a parallel spiral shaft, and a tripping apparatus in gear connection with the parallel shaft, the spirals of the shafts running in the same direction and the shafts being adapted to turn in opposite directions, of a screw-shaft located between the spiral shafts, each spiral shaft being provided with a gear attached thereto, a shifting gear carried by the screw-shaft and adapted for engagement with either gear upon the spiral shafts, and a carriage having threaded connection with the screw-shaft and carrying two meshing gears, one having sliding movement upon each of the said spiral shafts, as and for the purpose specified.

5. In a planter, the combination of a driving-shaft having a spiral groove, a shaft parallel to the driving-shaft and also provided with a spiral groove, devices actuated from the last-named shaft, gears on the shafts having engagement with the grooves therein, and meshing with each other, and means for moving said gears along the shafts, substantially as set forth.

6. In a planter, the combination of a driving-shaft having a spiral groove, a shaft parallel with the driving-shaft and also provided with a spiral groove, devices actuated from the last-named shaft, gears on the said shafts having engagement with the grooves therein and meshing with each other, a carriage whereon said gears are carried, a screw-shaft for moving the carriage, and means for driving the screw-shaft to move the carriage and gears longitudinally on the shafts whereon they are mounted, substantially as set forth.

7. In a planter, the combination of a driving-shaft having a spiral groove, a shaft parallel to the driving-shaft and also provided with a spiral groove, devices actuated from the last-named sh aft, gears on the shafts having engagement with the grooves therein and meshing with each other to drive the shafts in opposite directions, a carriage wherein said gears are carried, a screw-shaft for moving the carriage, and means for driving the screwshaft from either of the shafts wherein the gears are mounted, whereby the carriage and gears may be moved in either direction along the shafts, substantially as set forth;

HENRY S. BLOOD. WVitnesses:

S. P. Tom), B. A. MULLENGER. 

